E Sreedharan disapproves of 'bullet trains'

New Delhi: 'Metro Man' E. Sreedharan, former Managing Director of Delhi Metro, and the technocrat behind the meticulous execution of more than one pioneering railway projects in the country, has criticized the prime minister's pet project of bullet trains.

He said that the bullet train project, being extremely expensive, will benefit only the elite and remain inaccessible for the common man.

What India needs in the railway domain is a rail system of modern, clean, safe and fast trains, and not bullet trains, he said in an interview with 'Hindustan Times'.

Sreedharan was recently given a new assignment to standardise the metro service in the country. He said that he has been pushing for standardisation and indigenisation of metro service for long, and said that it is a welcome move. "With standardisation, efficiency will go up and reduce cost considerably. We can manufacture coaches and other parts indigenously. I feel we can convert metro into a ‘Make in India project’."

Asked about the 'rapid progress' made Indian Railways, in bio-toilets, speed and cleanliness, he said apart from bio-toilets there is no technical upgradation. "Speed has not increased. In fact, the average speed of most prestigious trains has come down. Punctuality is worst – officially 70%, actually less than 50%. Accident record has not improved. Many also die on tracks, at level-crossings, in suburban sections. Almost 20,000 lives are lost on tracks yearly. I feel Indian Railways is 20 years behind those of advanced nations."